


Daisy

by MaeTree



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Avengers Family, Avengers Tower, Awesome Clint Barton, BAMF Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Deaf Clint Barton, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Families of Choice, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Happy Ending, House Cleaning, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Character of Color, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Multi, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, No Avengers Compound, No Bucky Barnes Cryo After Civil War, Not Canon Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, One Big Happy Family, Other, Protective Natasha Romanov, Slow Burn, Thanos (Marvel) Dies, The Author Regrets Nothing, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Useless Lesbians, but she is saved, very slow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23578078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaeTree/pseuds/MaeTree
Summary: Natasha Romanov is many things, but understanding is not one of them. When Pepper Potts finally puts her foot down about hiring a housekeeper, no one is more upset than Natasha. A new employee, right in the space that she is just learning to feel safe in?No thanks.Now enter Erin, a twenty-five-year-old college drop-out with absolutely no hopes for the future and more emotional baggage than even the Avenger's Tower has room for. But as she starts her newest job, cleaning for Earth's Mightiest Heroes, she begins to realize that they might need her as much as she needs them.A/N- OK, so this is an idea that I have been sitting on for a while now. I got the inspiration for this story from a Quotev fic called "The Tower". You should definitely check it out, because it is amazing! But I have tried to change it up, make it my own a bit more. Enjoy!
Relationships: Avengers Team & Original Female Character(s), Clint Barton & Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 21
Kudos: 157





	1. Before We Start

This will be a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance that will talk about things like homophobia and child abuse. I will put trigger warnings in before each chapter that contains anything serious. Be ready for the occasional curse words, but I won't be excessive.

For our main character I have been picturing Ashley Moore but you can picture who you want.

I can't promise regular updates (I'll try for once a week), but when I do update, it will be 1000+ words.

In this book, I really want to work with character development. None of these characters will be perfect, and quite a few will have some very ugly moments, but that is going to give them room to improve.

As for the time-line? This is my story after Civil War-ish, with Siberia being dealt with like adults and everyone being alive and (sort-of) a team. No Infinity War, and no compound in Upstate New York (yet). I'll start off small, but continue to pull in more characters as the story gets more complex.

All characters belong to Marvel except for Erin and others that aren't in the movies/comics.

If you see any grammar mistakes, please let me know!

-Mae


	2. Putting the Foot Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper returns to the Tower

Anywhere you go on Earth, you ask anyone about New York and- after any personal stories they possess- they will tell you about it being the home of the Avengers. Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Their tower reaches into the sky, tall and strong, running on the world's leading source of clean energy.

People could tell you all about how they have saved the world countless times from evil within the atmosphere and without. Some people tell you about their grace and strength, other will tell you about their recklessness and lack of responsibility. Many people have stories about their great-uncle's-niece-three-times-removed-something-or-another that was saved from a fallen building in Sokovia or how their grandson met Iron Man on his birthday.

But very few people know- and even fewer people will tell you- how the Avengers, Earths Mightiest Heroes, are complete and total Disasters.

^*^

The tower was almost completely silent as Pepper walked in, giving a small nod to the receptionist who let her walk by without a word. Pepper's heels made a satisfying click on the tile floor as she walked to the elevator, letting herself take a long look around.

It had been almost a month since the whole fiasco with the Accords, and about a week since she and Tony decided to get back together. And this was the first time she had been back to the tower in almost six months.

When she and Tony had initially decided to take a break, Pepper really thought it was the right thing to do for herself. But as days turned into weeks and months, she found herself missing him. And not only him, but the rest of the family she had built with the Avengers.

Pepper missed the long girls' night she would have with Nat, Jane, Helen, Wanda, and all the other ladies. She missed just sitting with Bruce to have a cup of tea and unwind or the long talks with Thor and Steve about philosophy and economics. She even missed having to look around every corner for Clint's newest prank.

Of course, things had changed. Tony hadn't told about what happened in Siberia, but Pepper could see the rift that had formed between him and Steve. Rhodey had just gotten out of the hospital, Tony's newest invention firmly secured to his legs. Sam, Clint, Wanda and the new one, Scott, had been in a terrible prison for way too long. Thor was still off-planet, and Bruce was MIA. Steve had a new shadow that took the form of his former best friend, following him everywhere. Natasha had vanished, only to show up inside the apartment that Pepper had been staying the night in, bleeding from both bullet wounds and stab marks. Tony had also apparently adopted a new child?

But they were all back home. And soon, Pepper would be too.

As the elevator rose, Pepper let out a sigh of relief and directed her voice towards the ceiling. "How is everyone settling in, Friday?"

There was a weighted pause before Friday answered, "I believe that all the residents are quite adapt at making themselves at home."

Pepper frowned at Friday's tone of voice, but before she could ask more, the elevator doors slid open with a quiet chime.

Pepper was hit, almost immediately, by a horrible smell. "Gah! What is that?"

Friday replied, "I believe that would be the large amount of dishes in the sink, Ms. Potts."

"How long have they been there? And wha-" For once, the competent business woman was at a complete loss of words.

The Common Room looked as if a tornado of clothes, weapons and random crafts and games. Twin easels stood with partially finished art pieces next to the big bay windows, Nerf bullets could be found in almost every nook and cranny possible, books lay around in stacks and there were almost as many clothes as Nerf bullets.

Friday's voice interrupted Pepper's train of thought. "The dishes have been in the sink for three weeks, two days and seven hours. I have tried suggesting to Sir multiple time to hire a housekeeper, but am now forbidden to according to the _Stop Being a Nagging Bitch_ protocol."

Pepper took one more glance around the disaster of a Common Room before turning back towards the elevator. "This is ridiculous. Friday, first thing tomorrow, contact HR and get them working on finding a suitable housekeeper. Bonus if they can cook." Pepper tagged on that last part as an afterthought.

Contrary to popular belief, the only resident of the Tower that could actually be trusted alone in a kitchen was Darcy Lewis, Jane's assistant, but she tended to have her hands full with making sure none of the geniuses Scienced! themselves to death.

The Common Room was silent for a few moments after Pepper's departure, then Clint rose up out of the cushions, blankets and clothes with a bag of Cheetos in his hand as he called for Friday to turn the TV on and continue playing "The Bachelor".

^*^

Later that night, Pepper will ask herself which is worse: the Percy Jackson movies, or the scene she saw as soon as she entered her fiance's labs.

The first thing she noticed was the sound. AC/DC played in the background to several screaming voices, first and foremost being Tony's voice.

The next thing she noticed was the child standing on the ceiling, acting as if it was the most casual thing in the world as he argued with (read as: got scolded by) the one Darcy Lewis.

The third thing she noticed was the bizarre hodgepodge of machinery in the middle of the room, throwing off sparks and letting loose an alarming amount of smoke.

Not that the rest of the room was not alarming.

Finally, Pepper got close enough to make out what words were being shouted.

"This is why we don't press buttons! You know this!"

"Aw, c'mon Darce, give the kid a break-"

"Oh, you don't have any room to talk Mister enabler-of-dangerous-activities! You knew what would happen!"

The boy- Pepper assumed it was the almost adopted Spider-kid, Peter, turned to Tony with wide-eyed betrayal, "You knew?"

Tony grimaced, "Well-" but Darcy cut him off.

"OK, you boys can have your soap opera moment later. Friday, cut the power to the doom!show."

Pepper lifted a hand to cover up her grin. This was why she had hired Darcy to work with all the scientists. Even as the boys protested, the machine monster slowly fizzled down and the smoke began to clear out through the ventilation system, built with that purpose in mind.

Tony turned to Peter, hands spread, "I just wanted to smoke Clint out of the vents."

Peter instantly brightened, "Oh, I guess that's OK then."

Pepper finally gave in and burst out laughing. All three other occupants of the room jumped and turned to her, guilty looks on their faces.

"Pepper, hey-" Tony tried to start some excuse, but she waved him off.

"I don't want to know. I just came down to let you know I made it in safe, 'kay?"

Tony and Peter both nodded eagerly, clearly ready to continue experimentation, but Pepper wasn't finished.

"One last thing, Tony?" Once Pepper was sure she had his full attention, she continued, "we are getting a housekeeper."

It wasn't a question, but Tony nodded anyways with a quiet "yes ma'am". But Pepper was already making her way to the door, only pausing one more time to congratulate Darcy on her quick thinking before leaving the labs to their insanity.


	3. The Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Erin.

_Three Months Later_

If you go anywhere in the world, and ask anyone about Erin Allby, they will say, who the hell are they? Erin is forgettable. It's not like she tries to be, but with her quiet voice and soft steps, she just tends to fade into the background.

Even the people who work with her on an almost daily basis tend to forget she is there. But, to give them credit, it's not as if anyone really pays to much attention to the janitor.

Erin has been a janitor for the last eight years; ever since she moved out of her parents' house when she was eighteen. She has been cleaning places all over New York City, and doing a good job of it. If you were to ever look at her resume, you would see exactly two jobs in the past 6 years, and both jobs giving her the highest praise- and minimum wage.

That is why we start our chapter with Erin standing in front of the Avengers Tower at five 'til 10 in the morning, her best clothes on and resume in hand.

Taking a deep breath, Erin heads in, and makes her way straight to the front desk.

"Excuse me, I'm here for an interview?"

The man there startled, looking up at her with surprise, which then turn to- pity? But he seemed to shake it off to offer her a small smile. "Welcome to Avengers' Tower. May I get your name?"

The words seemed rehearsed, as if said so many times, he didn't need to think, but Erin answered with a polite voice. "Allby. Erin Allby."

The man barely even looked down towards his computer before grabbing a small object from his desk, "You will need to wear this," he held up a visitor badge, "and go into the elevator to level sixteen, where you will be met by Mrs. Collin."

Erin offered a small smile and thanks and turned towards the elevator.

It opened on its own as she approached, making her stop in surprise, but the man's voice urged her on. "Don't worry, JOKASTA is in charge of almost everything involving the employees. She will make sure you get to where you need to be."

Erin gave another smile towards the man in thanks and continued on, albeit slightly more hesitantly. The doors began to close as soon as she stepped inside and a gentle female voice asked for her destination.

"Uhm, floor 16, please?" Erin winced as her voice cracked, but the voice didn't seem to mind and the elevator started to ascend. It was quiet, no music was playing and Erin's nerves seem to be all over the place and her hands were shaking.

The elevator was only moving for about thirty seconds before it stopped and the doors opened. the voice, JOKASTA, then announced that she had reached level sixteen. Erin hesitated in the elevator, frozen with nerves for just a moment before shaking the off and stepping out into a smaller lobby.

She was immediately met by an older woman with graying hair pulled into a functional bun and her slim figure tucked into a sharp suit. Everything about the woman seem sharp and organised, and for a second, Erin could see the same flash of pity that had been in the man's eyes downstairs before her face broke into a warm smile.

"Hello, I am Mrs. Collins," her voice was warm and refined and she held out her hand in greeting, "you must be Miss Allby."

Erin stepped forward to shake her hand, "Please, call me Erin."

Mrs. Collins gave a small laugh, "Then you must call me Kia."

At Erin's nod, Kia motioned for them to walk together into a decent-sized office, where Kia sat herself down behind the desk.

"So as I understand it, you are applying for the housekeeping position within our residential area?"At Erin's nod, Kia continued, "Your resume is sound, and all your previous and current employers give amazing recommendations, but my question is, if you already have a job, why are you looking for anything different?"

Erin gave another nod as she considered the question and began to speak. The questionnaire continued for the better part of an hour before Kia brought out a large stack of papers.

"What are those?"

"The NDAs, Terms of Employment, Employee's Contract, and so on." Kia waved her hand dismissively as Erin's eyes widened.

"Wait, so you're-"

"Hiring you? Of course! You are more than qualified, and everything else check out just fine."

"Oh, OK? I'm sorry, this just seems a little sudden. I thought that maybe I would leave and you would call me back a few days later, instead of just being hired on the spot. I mean, I still would need to resign from my current job, and then there is the whole giving a notice and then-" Erin spread her hands helplessly.

"Yes, I am afraid this is slightly rushed, but we have been searching for a housekeeper for months now." Kia looked at little embarrassed as she continued, "We have never been able to convince anyone to stay for more than two weeks."

Erin's jaw dropped, "But that is ridiculous!"

Kia nodded in agreement, but continued, "Yes, it appears that some of the residents are- well, less than enthused about having a stranger in their home. I am getting almost desperate. If you can, we will give you a small bonus if you would be able to start immediately."

Erin set her jaw. "I'll need to think about the starting date, but these residents won't be able to get rid of me that easily."

Kia's face broke into the most real grin Erin had seen from her in all their time together. "I hope so, Miss Allby. I hope so."

^*^

It took almost three hours to complete the paperwork. By the time Erin was done, her head felt like mush. Kia had led her a small waiting area because apparently she needed to stay on premises while filling everything out.

By no small miracle, Erin was able to find her way back to Kia's office, finished paperwork in hand.

The older woman looked through the paperwork with a satisfied nod. "So you will be starting immediately?"

"Yes." Truthfully, it wasn't much of a tough decision for her. The job had been crap and the pay was even worse.

"Perfect! Well, it is only 1:45, so if you want, I can show you around today, and you can start tomorrow?"

Erin could feel a smile starting to break out across her face, "That sounds amazing."


	4. Meeting the Bosses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this one got away from me a little, but I like it!
> 
> Erin goes on a tour of her new workplace and gets a very enthusiastic welcome, but not quite the one she was expecting.

"So, as we discussed, you'll be working long hours from 9 am to 7 pm, Monday through Friday. You'll be both cleaning and cooking. One of the previous housekeepers managed to corner all the residents to ask them about allergies, tastes, preferences, dislikes, and so on." Kia was walking as she talked, gathering papers from a filing cabinet and shoving them all into a folder.

Erin blanched at the thought of filling out more paperwork, but Kia caught her eye and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, these are just notes and such from Amy." At Erin's confused look, Kia hurried to explain, "She was one of the last housekeepers, stayed for about a week and a half, took a bunch of notes and such before finally telling me that she couldn't keep it up."

Erin gave a smirk, "Burned herself out too quickly?"

"Something like that." Kia confirmed with a laugh, "OK, let's get you introduced to FRIDAY and show you around a bit, shall we?"

Erin got to her feet with a mock salute. "Let's get this bread."

^*^

Kia led the way back to the elevator and- once inside, looked to the ceiling and said, "Hey JOKASTA, can you transfer we over to FRIDAY please?" Before Erin could ask, Kia turned to her and explained, "JOKASTA is the AI in charge of the main part of the building, but the residential floors are under a different AI's supervision. FRIDAY is practically Mr. Stark's child."

Erin again nodded as another female voice, this one with a soft accent filled the small room. "How may I help you Mrs. Collins?"

"FRIDAY, I would like you to meet Erin Allby. She is the new housekeeper and I am showing her around a little bit before her first day tomorrow. Can you take us to the Common Floor?"

"Of course. Hello, Ms. Allby. I am FRIDAY, an artificial intelligence created by Mr. Stark to help himself and any other residents of this tower. If you are ever in need of assistance, feel free to ask."

Erin gave several nods before replying. "Thank you, I'll be sure to do that."

Kia then took back control of the conversation, "FRI, we'll need to get Erin a badge that allows her access to all the rooms she needs, and please inform the residents of her employment." She turned to Erin in a guilty aside, "First housekeeper we hired was scared near half to death because the residents thought they had an intruder. All weapons and such locked in on him."

Erin allowed herself a small laugh, "I can imagine. You're just going about your day, turn around, and - Boom! You are suddenly on the wrong end of all the Avengers' weapons."

The two women shared a laugh as the elevator's doors quietly slid open to reveal an impressively large room as FRIDAY's voice announced that they had reached the Residential Quarters.

"Alright, this is the Common Room, kinda like your basic family room. A lot of the residents will spend down time here so it tends to need a bit of cleaning."

Erin paid close attention to the comfy-looking room, her eyes taking special note of the popcorn littered all over the couches and carpet, the unfinished chess game, and the massive hill of blankets that seem to be, breathing? Yes, the blankets were moving up and down in an unsteady breathing motion. She took a step closer to get a better look even as Kia had already moved on, presumably to the next room.

The blankets, or rather, the person hiding under the blankets, started to shift around in small, harsh movements.

Erin could feel that something was wrong; an uncomfortable sense of deja vu trickled down her spine, but she gathered her courage and squeaked out a soft, "Hello?"

There was a small pause before the whole couch exploded outward, blankets and cushions flying all over the room and a heavy weight slamming into her midsection and tackling her to the floor.

Erin's breath escaped her lungs with a soft, "Oof!" as a blonde man was suddenly straddling her with what felt like an extremely sharp object pressed up against her throat.

"Who are you? How did you get in here? What are you doing here?" The questions came rapid fire, but Erin was still struggling to get her breath back. This seemed to upset the man more as he pressed the object- a knife?- harder against her throat. "Answer me."

"Clint?-"

"Clint, stop!-"

"Clint, no, she's not a spy-"

Then the man was off her and she was on her feet, her hand going for her sore throat as air worked it's way back into her lungs. Kia was in front of her, encouraging her to take deep breaths and two overlapping voices seemed to be arguing in the background.

"Oh god, I can't believe you just-"

"A civilian, Clint-"

"Do you ever check your goddamn phone?"

Finally Erin pulled herself together enough to take in her surroundings. The Common Room was even more of a mess than before and her attacker sat on the couch with a man and a woman in front of him. Apparently the voices weren't arguing, but scolding the man.

Erin stood to walk over to them, but Kia held her back.

"You don't have to get in the middle of this." The older woman offered, but Erin shook her head and continued forward to where the man was still sitting and cleared her throat. Her saviors, who she now realized were Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, both went silent as she got their attention.

Nerves made her mouth dry, but she started talking in an apologetic voice. "Please don't be mad at him. This was my fault, I think I just woke him up and startled him."

Everyone's faces turned to surprise, but she didn't wait for anyone to respond as she turned to her attacker and offered her hand. "My name is Erin Allby, I am the new housekeeper. I'm so sorry for waking you up."

He looked at her hand for a second, then a friendly, if a tad apologetic, smile came over his face as he took her hand in a firm shake. "I'm Clint Barton. Hawkeye. Sorry for the- ya know- rugby tackle."

Erin gave a warm laugh, "Well, it was definitely the most interesting thing to happen to me today."

"Even more interesting than be hired by the Avengers?" The cocky voice interrupted whatever Clint was going to say next, but Erin turned to Tony Stark with an easy smile.

"I'm actually still trying to process that one, Mr. Stark."

"Well, I suppose that'll do," Stark gave a small pause, "for now."

He gave a wince as Ms. Potts, his fiance, jammed an elbow in his side, glaring at him but smiling sweetly at Erin. "Ms. Allby, I'm Pepper, it's very nice to meet you. If you need anything at all, feel free to let me know." 

Erin gave a smile and a nod, but silently resolved to never take her up on that offer unless absolutely necessary. Ms. Potts seemed to have plenty enough work on her hands as it is.

"Well," Kia interrupted, "as interesting as that was, I suppose we should be getting along with the rest of our tour."

Erin gave a nod of assent and followed Kia out of the living room, waving goodbye to the trio of heroes.

In comparison, the rest of the tour was relatively uneventful. The whole place was a terrible mess, but not anything that Erin couldn't handle.

There was the Common room, kitchen, laundry room, dining room, conference room, gym, dance studio, library (which Erin was surprised that Tony had allowed- given his obssesion with technology and all), and game room. The whole set-up was spanning five floors, with areas and rooms that reached through several levels and almost a dozen powder rooms scattered about. Cleaning supply closets were tucked away on every level for her use.

She would be doing three to five rooms a day, every weekday, plus making sure the kitchen was fully stocked and preparing dinner. All in all, the job was a dream come true; no uniform, self-paced, and she got to have holidays off. Plus the pay was almost twice what she was making before.

Erin was grinning by the time she made it back down to the lobby, slightly surprised to see one Clint Barton already there, apparently waiting for her because he smiled and walked up to her as soon as she stepped out of the elevator.

"Hey, Erin, how you doin'?" His smile was awkward, but he seemed to relax when Erin answered.

"Oh, I'm doing great! Watcha here for?"

Clint lowered his eyes, seemingly embarrassed, "I just wanted to say thank you for sticking up for me. You didn't have to, but you did, so thank you."

Erin nodded in understanding, "It's fine. Kinda my fault for waking up up like that. I've seen how hard it can be, being woken to an unfamiliar sound."

"That's another thing," Clint's eyes rose to meet hers, searching, "how did you know I was asleep?"

Erin shifted awkwardly, "Well, you just reminded me of my brother. The first time I tried to wake him up after he came home, almost the exact thing happened, just without the knife. He was in the Army, deployed to Afghanistan."

Clint nodded in understanding, "Yeah, the military doesn't go easy on its recruits. But all things considered, I owe you one."

Erin started to protest, but Clint cut her off, "Non-negotiable."

Erin gave a heavy, over-exaggerated sigh before muttering, "Fine." But her face lit up the moment later as an idea struck her. "You know what? I think I'm going to cash it in right now."

Clint raised an expectant eyebrow, so Erin continued, "Friendship. Not that you have to pretend you like me," she hurried to continue, "But you at least give me a chance to be your friend."

Clint looked at her for a long moment before another big smile stretched across his face. "I think I can do that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, Clint Barton is one of my favorite Avengers, and I think he just doesn't get the credit he deserves! So I wrote him a friend.  
> Comments and Kuddos are always appreciated!


	5. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much a filler chapter, but I'll post again soon!

Say what you will about New York City, but you can't deny the energy in it. That same energy seemed to infuse Erin as she practically skipped her way to the Avengers' Tower.

Since there was no dress code, Erin had splurged at a Goodwill, buying several functional pairs of jeans and some cute looking t-shirts. Nothing to fancy, but it would be good to wear when cleaning. 

Stepping inside the Tower, she immediately made her way over to the front desk, where the same man as the day before sat. 

He greeted her with a smile and she made sure to look at his name tag. Devon Touya. 

"Hello, Mr. Touya. How are you doing this morning?"

The man is question looked surprised to be addressed to directly, but responded with a gentle smile. "I am doing well, thank you."

Erin decided to take a leap out of her antisocial habits and introduce herself, "My name's Erin. Erin Allby. I mean, I think I introduced myself yesterday, but- y'know- I'm the new housekeeper for the residential floors."

By the time she had stopped talking, her face was beat red, but Mr. Touya just smiled. "I remember. And also, I have your new badge, but I will need to see a form of identification."

It only took a minute for Erin to show him her drivers license and then she was headed up the elevator. She had made sure to show up early, so by the time the elevator doors opened, it was 5 minutes until 9 and Erin was ready to get rolling.

Making sure her headphones were firmly in place, Erin made her way over to the supply closet to pull out a pair of rubber gloves and a roll of trash bags. 

Moving her hips to Halsey, Erin started in the Common Room, filling three trash bags with the food and trash littering the floor before picking up all the blankets and clothing and taking them to the laundry room. 

Which was also a mess. 

But she'll deal with that later. 

Then came the vacuuming, dusting, and furniture cleaning. By the time Erin deemed the Common Room satisfactory, it was almost 1 pm. Luckily, the Common Room had seemed to house one of the biggest disasters, but her next room was not any better.

In all honesty, the Kitchen needed bio-hazard warnings. Erin didn't even want to think about the last time someone did the dishes, but they were overflowing the sink and took up the majority of the counter-top space. The oven had a mysterious burnt substance coating the inside and nothing in the fridge was edible.

So Erin cracked her knuckles and got to work. Five bags of trash and one empty fridge later found Erin elbow deep in dishes. She was so consumed in her work, she completely missed the awed shouts coming from the Common Room and the entrance of three new people in her work-zone. The only thing that startled her from her revere was the gentle tap on her shoulder.

Erin turned around to see Pepper Potts herself looking at her and seeming to say something. Moving quickly, Erin took out her earbuds to hear Pepper's voice.

"-looks wonderful! And I almost forgot what these counter tops looked like! Erin, I am at a loss of words."

Erin grinned, feeling a bright blush spread across her cheeks, "I think you're laying it on a little thick."

"Okay, maybe a little, but seriously? You have done the work that most 'keepers do in three days, and it's only-" Pepper checked her watch, "Four fifteen."

Erin made a move to object, but Tony, who had been standing behind Pepper with another man, stepped forward, "Can it, kid. Pep is right, and arguing with her is futile. Just save your dignity."

Erin let out a laugh, "I guess so," she turned back to Pepper, "Thank you, Ms. Potts, I'm flattered."

The man standing next to Tony barked out a laugh, "You're right, Tones, she is a polite one, isn't she?"

Tony threw up his hands with a triumphant grin, "See that's what I mean! You should to-" 

Pepper cut him off with a graceful hand across his mouth. "No, Tony."

The man himself turned a pleading look to his fiance, but she stayed firm. Finally, he sighed and Pepper removed her hand, turning back to Erin, "Sorry about that. This is Colonel James Rhodes, also know as the War Machine. He doesn't live here, but visits as much as he can."

Erin stepped forward, with her hand out to shake, "Nice to meet you, Colonel." 

But he stopped her with a small head-shake and an easy "Call me Rhodey. God knows everybody else does."

Erin gave another laugh, "Of course, so tell me," she turned to address all the occupants of the kitchen, "How does Chicken Alfredo sound for dinner?"

Tony and Rhodey both gave enthusiastic consent, but Pepper gave a small frown, "You just cleaned out the fridge. What are you going to make it out of?"

"Oh, I was just going to run to the store right after I finished the dishes. I mean, the food will be ready around seven-ish but," Erin gave a shrug as if to say, what can you do?

Tony, apparently, could do a lot. "Nah, kiddo, just have Fri order for you. We have a pretty sweet delivery system set up."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark. I'll do that."

"Tony. Call me Tony. Not Mr. Stark, Stark, or anything else. My name is Tony."

"Whatever you say Mr. Stark."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos give me life!  
> And, as always, feel free to point out any spelling/grammar mistakes.


	6. Dinner is Served

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of introductions and very little plot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So at the end of my last chapter I said an update was coming soon. That didn't happen. Sorry.  
> I an almost finished writing the next chapter and will have it out this week.  
> But on a different note, HOLY FUCK thank you all so much for the love and support!!! You all are amazing and I love you so much!!

It was almost 5:30 pm by the time Erin determined the kitchen safe to eat in and dinner ready. 

Tony and Pepper had bot returned to their respective jobs and Rhodey had gone to lay down so Erin was alone in the kitchen when Clint entered. 

"Wassup Curly?"

Erin wrinkled her nose at the nickname, but didn't point it out. "Nothing much, just finishing up dinner."

Without even looking, Erin brought a wooden spoon she was holding down onto the archer's hand that was trying to sneak it's way into the food.

Clint gave a yelp and pouted at her, "What was that for?"

Erin gave a smirk, "You can wait five more minutes, I promise."

"Wait for what in five minutes?"

Both Erin and Clint turned to face the new speaker, the one and only Captain America.

Erin immediately fell silent, but Clint just grinned and pointed to the stove-top. "Dinner."

The super-soldier's face made an instant transformation into a look of joy, "So that's what we've been smelling? It looks great!"

As Captain America was talking, Erin noticed another man standing behind him, acting as if he was trying to melt into the walls. She made eye contact with the stranger for a brief second before the Captain pulled her back into the conversation.

"-You must be the new housekeeper, Ms. Allby, I'm Steve Rogers." He stuck his hand out to shake, "You just let me know if there is anything I can do for you, ma'am." 

He was nice enough, but Erin could tell that he wasn't expecting her to stay here long. _Well,_ she thought, _I guess I'll need to prove him wrong._

She clasped her hand around his and gave a warm confident smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you and please, call me Erin. I'm still getting used to the lay of this place, but let me know if there is anything I could do for you."

The Captain gave a grin and opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted by the Sound of the elevator opening and Tony's voice, "Erin! Fri told us you had dinner almost ready-" 

The inventor cut himself off when he turned the corner to see the other occupants of the kitchen. "Oh, hello everyone." 

Steve and Tony began an intense staring contest as other people trickled into the eating area. 

Pepper and Rhodey shared a weighted glance before Pepper gave a loud clap, diverting everyone's attention to her. "Okay, so we have a new housekeeper, Erin Allby. She has made a wonderful looking meal that we need to start eating before it gets cold!"

Erin stepped up, giving her warmest smile, "There is Chicken Alfredo on the stove and green beans and garlic bread if you're interested."

There were twelve full-time occupants of the tower, and the instructions said to make enough food for fifteen to twenty people any given night, but Erin's quick head count showed there to only be eight people in the kitchen and eating areas, not including herself. 

"They're either working or out on missions."

The voice came from behind her in the form of a woman.

The woman had long dark hair, bright painted lips, and a tall, curvy body. She was gorgeous, and Erin could already feel her cheeks heating up under the woman's intense gaze.

"I'm Darcy. So, how long are you planning on staying here?" 

Erin had to smother a laugh at the bluntness of Darcy's question before answering, "I don't know yet. At the very least, I hope to break the two week record."

Darcy bit out a loud laugh, "Well if that's the case, I guess I should introduce you to the crew."

The dark-haired woman was off before Erin even had a chance to process her words, leaving her to hurry to catch up. 

Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, Clint, and Steve all assured Darcy that yes, they did know Erin, while the last two occupants were introduced as Bucky- the quiet man by Steve- and Peter- a teenager that was so busy stuffing his mouth full that he could only wave in acknowledgment. 

Erin was more than a little confused by the presence of a teenager on the residential floors, but decided to simply roll with it. It wasn't her business anyways. 

The people were all nice enough, but there was a dangerous feeling of underlying tension that made Erin feel like she was suffocating. 

So, after making sure everyone was finished eating, she put all the leftovers in Tupperware containers that she had found in a deep hidden corner of the cabinets. She then finished up all the dishes from both dinner and before.

People slowly trickling out, most giving a small wave or word of thanks as they left, but Darcy made a point of giving Erin a hug and saying how she _needed to stick around_. 

By the time she was done, the kitchen was empty except for Clint. Once he had finished his meal, he had begun to help dry the dishes, ignoring Erin's protests. They had worked in a companionable silence until almost 7 pm, when Erin put away the last pot.

"Well," Clint's voice was loud compared to the empty kitchen "First day of work. How'd it feel?"

Erin gave a dry laugh. "Exhausting." She opened her mouth to say more, but hesitated.

Clint, ever the spy, noticed, "And?" he prompted.

Erin hesitated before taking the plunge, "What happened? I mean, I know that it's none of my business, but ya'll act as if you are trying not to hate each other?"

Clint laugh, this time with a more bitter note, "Well, you caught on fast." He changed the subject without missing a beat, "Do you have an accent? Or is the 'ya'll' just a habit thing?"

He was deflecting, and Erin paused just long enough to let him know that she knew it, but didn't push. "I grew up in Missouri, so I guess it's a bit of both."

"Neat." Clint didn't say anymore as Erin grabbed her jacket and asked FRIDAY for the elevator.

Just as the doors were about to close, Clint spoke up one more time. 

"You did good tonight, Erin. I know it doesn't seem like it, but the team really seems to like you."

Erin gave one last smile and wave before the doors closed and took her to the main floor.

_Time to head home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Feel free to point out any typos or grammer mistakes.  
> Comments and Kuddos make my day!


	7. Natasha Romanov

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha has trust issues and Tony is everybody's dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this turned out a lot more angsty than I intended... but fluff is coming!
> 
> ...sooner or later...

Natasha was exhausted- not that you would ever be able to see it through her unbreakable facade. But, ever since the Civil War, she had been working her ass off non-stop.

Firstly, she had begun to investigate General Ross at the request of both Steve and Tony.

Second, she had been doing investigations on everything to do with Zemo; how he had found his information, how he had gotten to the base in Siberia, and how he had put the world's supposedly _best_ _heroes_ against each other.

Thirdly, she had been tracking down anything even remotely related to HYDRA and the Winter Soldier and destroying it from existence. 

Put that all on top of her own emotional confusion and all she wanted to do was curl in a ball and cry for the next hundred years. But then her training would catch up to her and she would remind herself that she wasn't that weak.

Monsters don't have feelings.

It was four a.m. when she entered the tower. FRIDAY brought her up to the Common Rooms at her quiet request, silently opening the doors to the familiar layout that Natasha had just begun to think of as home. 

But it was different. The first thing that she noticed was the smell. It was a chemically lemon scent that immediately made her scan the room for any new threats. All that greeted her was a clean Common Room, no popcorn to be seen, dishes and blankets all gone, leaving clean surfaces as far as the eye could see. 

Natasha lifted a perfect eyebrow, the only outward sign of her displeasure. _So they found another housekeeper,_ she thought. A shiver fought to crawl its way up her spine, but Nat resolutely ignored it. No one else seemed to be worried enough about the huge security risk that all these strangers brought with them. Yes, FRIDAY was an excellent system that was almost impossible to bypass, but _almost_ isn't good enough. It is just tempting fate, no, it is practically _asking_ to be attacked or poisoned or spied on when you invite practical strangers into your home

Thoughts swirled in her head as she entered the kitchen, which was equally clean, and pulled out a glass for water. Even in her anger, Natasha had to admit that she was impressed with the new housekeeper's speed. She had been gone for the past three days and most of the previous housekeepers hadn't finished more than three rooms their whole time of employment. 

Her glass full of water, with just a hint of lime juice, Natasha stepped in the elevator and asked FRIDAY to take her to Tony's lab. 

They needed to talk.

^*^

Tony had never had a good sleep schedule, even as a child. But as he grew older, his waking hours became longer, and when he was introduced to caffeine, his sleeping hours became non-existent. 

When he and Pepper started their relationship, he often was able to actually sleep on a daily basis. That is, until inspiration struck. Or nightmares. Or his never-ending anxiety of failing his family, team, or even the whole world. 

He still tried to put in the effort, to stay with Pepper in the odd hours of the night, but more often than not, he ended waking his fiance. So down to the lab he went, tinkering and building and coding until the sun rose above the city that never slept. 

The team knew of his frequent insomnia and often visited him when they too couldn't sleep. Back when Bruce was around, they were almost constant nightly companions, talking about science and technology and hopes and dreams, always avoiding the reality, acting as if the hours were normal and not because Bruce was to scared to let his guard down and Tony was to terrified of letting all the ones he loves die because he can't do enough.

Pepper also made a habit of staying in her fiance's lab while he worked, carding her fingers through his hair, working on miscellaneous paperwork, or catching up on sleep on the small couch he had there.

Clint visited occasionally, chatting about anything and nothing, silly things that didn't really matter like his next prank on someone or his latest funny story about his dog Lucky, and making no move to mention the faded tear tracks on his face. 

Steve had also visited regularly, back before their fall out. Tony would explain what he was working on and Steve would listen intently. Contrary to popular belief, the super soldier was brilliant and picked up all the concepts Tony taught him with ease. Tony never realized how much those hours meant until they were gone. 

Rhodey was in Tony's lab every night he stayed at the tower. They never talked, only working in companionable silence. Neither needed to explain why they were there.

Natasha rarely visited, but whenever she did, it a silent affair, with bloodshot eyes and the sharp smell of vodka.

The first time Wanda visited Tony's lab was an accident. Every other time wasn't. She had muttered a quiet apology, but didn't make any move to leave. Though often arrogant and brash acting during the day, Tony was quiet at night, with soft smiles and comforting words. Every time after was similar. They would greet each other with a smile and a few quiet words and she would read while he worked. 

After a few years, almost every resident of the Tower had made a nocturnal visit to Tony's labs, whether for advise, or comfort, or distraction.

Tony never spoke of it, neither did anyone else, but it was a known thing at the Tower. At night, his door was open for a reason. 

^*^

When Natasha stepped into Tony's lab, it was quiet, but not because of the lack of people. Pepper was laying back on the couch, reading _War and Peace_ , while Wanda braided her hair and Rhodey helped Tony work on a new Iron Man gauntlet. 

No one looked up at her entrance, and Natasha made her way over to Tony, ready to hiss out poisonous and scathing words about security and stupidity. 

Those words died out on her tongue the second Tony met her eyes. To most, he would have seemed fine, if not a little tired. But to Natasha, he looked like he had been through hell and back. The dark bags under his eyes had been expertly hidden with makeup, only broken by faint tear tracks. His eyes themselves were watery and bloodshot. And there was something inside him that just seemed so _hurt._

So, instead of ripping into him, all she did was pull him into a hug. Rhodey joined a second later, followed by Pepper and Wanda. A small _clang!_ was a prelude to Clint's arms wrapping around their small group. 

Natasha closed her eyes to hide her tears. Her fears could wait. 

Right now, she was _home_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading!  
> Feel free to point out any grammar/spelling mistakes.  
> Comments and kudos make my day!!!
> 
> And if anyone is willing to beta for me... please let me know!


	8. Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erin's past won't let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW- non-explicit mentions of abuse.  
> This is a dark chapter. Do I like it? No. Why am I posting it? I don't know. Did I want it to be a lot more fluffy than it is? Of course.  
> Either way, hope you guys like it!

" _Useless."_

_"Learn to pull your own fucking weight."_

_"Why would I want to stay with you?"_

_"Idiot."_

_"Worthless."_

The voices echoed in Erin's head. Faces flashed inside her eyelids as her age-old nightmares pulled her deeper into her past.

_"What is wrong with you?" The glass cup shattered against the wall behind her._ _Ramona grabbed another glass as Erin sobbed._

_"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Erin's sobs wracked her body; she could feel small shards of glass digging into her skin. Erin curled into as tiny a ball as she could when Ramona moved to throw the next closest object._

_"You selfish little bitch! This is why we are so fucking poor. I gave up everything for you! You! A selfish little piece of shit that can't even keep a job." Ramona moved closer and closer to Erin as she spoke; until she was standing directly over her._

_Grimacing, Ramona lifted a heavy boots onto Erin's ribs, leaning down to whisper into the sobbing girl's ear, "You're not sorry yet, but you will be."_

^*^

Erin woke up in stages, not registering any conscious thoughts until her alarm went off at five-thirty. Her head pounded as the beeping continued. Nothing seemed worth it anymore.

"No." Erin spoke to the empty apartment, willing herself to believe her words. "I'm free, from her and everyone else."

Getting out of bed felt like trying to lift the weight of the world, but Erin managed to get to her feet. Pulling on a pair of leggings and a workout shirt, she made her way to the door. Walking down the stairs, Erin pulled her feet behind her in a basic calf stretch. As she continued out of her shabby rental, she worked on warmups and broke into a light jog as soon as her feet hit the sidewalk.

Even at the ungodly hour Erin was out at, the sidewalk weren't even close to empty. Erin didn't even begin to stand out among the businessmen, tourists, and other runners and bike-riders making their way through Brooklyn. She didn't have her headphones in, choosing to use the background sounds of the city to pull her from her thoughts. By the time she made her way back into her apartment, it was quarter past seven. It was a much longer run than her usual exercise, but it helped Erin clear her mind.

Breakfast was a hearty affair consisting of a bowl of off-brand cereal and almost expired milk.

After a shower and a fresh change of clothes, Erin grabbed her headphones, water bottle, and new Stark badge, and left for work almost fifteen minutes early.

^*^

One look at the laundry room had Erin ready to cry. The chemicals and cleaning supplies were spilled out of cabinets and down shelves. The clothes were piled up in baskets and on the floor without any rhyme or rhythm- half of them covered in various stains, mostly blood- and the smell of body Oder was strong enough to make her gag. But she rolled up her sleeves and put her angsty music on the loudest settings.

Emotions could wait- her job could not.

^*^

Contrary to popular belief, Clint was not loud or clumsy. He was a skilled spy and assassin that had fought and killed. He was often prone to adapt a cheerful, non-threatening, almost child-like demeanor that was designed to put people off their guard. 

But he was still a spy and he could read even Natasha's emotions from a mile away. 

He was already starting to get am almost intuitive feel for Erin's emotions. The girl was quiet, but not good at hiding herself. Already, Clint could feel himself growing attached.

So at nine o'clock sharp, Clint made his way over to the elevator to say hi to his newest friend, maybe check in on her after the rough dinner the night before. After five minutes though, Clint was still waiting for her to show up. He frowned to himself before calling up to FRIDAY. 

"Has Erin entered the building yet, Fri?"

"Miss Allby entered the building at 8:48 this morning and proceeded to go directly to the laundry room."

Clint thanked FRIDAY with a quiet hum as he began making his way to the laundry room. When he got there, he stopped in shock. Erin hadn't even been there for twenty minutes, yet all the chemicals were cleaned up and the laundry was halfway sorted into the dozens of baskets around the room. 

Erin didn't even notice Clint enter, nodding her head along to music that Clint could hear from three feet away. And he was deaf, for God's sake.

Seeing as she was busy, Clint moved to leave but stopped as he studied her body language. 

Her shoulders were tense, her movements jerky as she bounced on the balls of her feet. Her hair looked like it was supposed to be in a ponytail, but most of the curls had escaped in an uncontrollable frizz. Everything about her seemed exhausted and worn down. 

Clint shook his head and sighed. _Did all the people around him have no idea how to take care of themselves?_ He grabbed an article of clothing and started to help her.

As soon as Erin noticed Clint, she stopped her music and started to lecture him. "You do realize this is my job, right?" was an often repeated phrase, mixed in with some, "Don't you have anything better to do?" and "Are you even listening to me?" that Clint ignored. Eventually realizing that Clint wasn't going to stop, Erin turned back to her own work, grumbling things about stubborn do-gooders.

Working together, all the clothes were picked up and sorted in a little less than half an hour. As soon as the last piece of clothing was in a basket Erin turned to Clint, tension leaving her body in a big sigh. 

"Thank you Clint, really. But why are you helping me? Not that i'm not grateful for your help, really, I am, but why?"

Clint gave a small shrug, not wanting to make her uncomfortable by pointing out all her quirks, "I just had some free time."

Erin gave a small nod, clearly not believing him, which honestly wasn't that surprising because _who would want to clean in their free time?_ but she let it slide as Clint continued talking.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" 

"Yeah, I ate before I left my apartment." Erin's voice was heavy, but Clint plowed on.

"What'd ya have?" He tried his best to keep his voice carefree and playful even as Erin's mood seemed to drop further.

"Cold cereal."

Before she could even think to protest, Clint had an arm around her shoulders and was steering her towards the kitchen.

"Not gonna cut it, kid, you need real food."

Erin tried to pull away but Clint's arm around her shoulders was like a steel bar, trapping her.

_Oh God._

_Trapping._

_Trapped._

_"I own you."_

_The locked doors, the closet._

_"Did you really think you could escape?"_

_Darkness, rats scurrying around in the walls, the window boarded shut._

Erin's thought spiraled deeper and deeper, her hands started shaking.

Then, like the end of a rainstorm, the heavy weight left her shoulders. Her eyesight cleared bit by bit until she could properly make out her surroundings.

Clint stood in front of her, his hands holding her up. She was shaking.

"-okay? What happened?"

Erin brushed him off with a shake of her head, "Don't worry about it."

Clint looked like her was going to press, but Erin cut him off, "I need to get back to work."

She didn't meet his eyes as he looked her over one more time.

"Okay."

His voice was neutral, but she still flinched at the anger behind it.

"Let me know if you need anything though, alright?"

Erin nodded rapidly, ready to be done with the interaction. And just like that, she was alone.

 _Like you've always wanted._

The bitter voice mocked her, echoing even as she turned on her music to the loudest setting, trying to drown it out.

Alone was good. Safe. If she was alone, then she was in charge.

And she was the only one she could trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I just finished this chapter, and let me tell you it was a beast to write. This story line is turning out to be a lot more angsty than I thought. But here it is.   
> I do have a few questions for you...  
> Do you think I should up the rating?  
> Do you think I should change the tags?  
> Should I write these things differently?
> 
> Please let me know in the comments.
> 
> As always, feel free to point out any grammar/spelling mistakes and/or a beta you would recommend!  
> Comments and Kudos make my day!!!  
> All my love,  
> Mae


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